Remember the SUV-asaurus? As a character in an ad campaign, it made us chuckle, the general gist being that the huge sport-utility vehicles of years past were hopelessly out of date, falling prey to higher gas prices and a shifting consumer attitude toward more efficient transportation, namely the car-based crossover. While no specific manufacturer was targeted (besides Suzuki, of course, as it was the brand that paid for the ad campaign), there were a few fullsize SUVs clearly wearing crosshairs – most obviously the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban and their corporate Yukon and Yukon XL twins from GMC.

Humorous as it may have been to poke fun at a would-be dodo, it seems the grave meant for the fullsize body-on-frame SUV may have been dug rather prematurely (ironically, the burial plot ended up being for Suzuki itself, at least here in the States). Proof positive can be seen in the 2015 Chevy Tahoe that is the subject of today's feature. It's a completely redesigned machine, and it holds an important place in the automaker's lineup – according to General Motors, fullsize SUVs make up 1.6 percent of the US vehicle market (2.2 percent if you include luxury nameplates), and GM owns a whopping 74 percent of that chunk. Add it all up and that equals 263,948 sales in 2013. What's more, these aren't low-dollar sales, with an average transaction price of $53,000, and they are known to have particularly huge profit margins.

So, we've established that fullsize SUVs aren't yet dead, Chevrolet and GMC are two of the biggest players in the segment and, importantly, that the market is lucrative. It was with these facts in mind that we slid behind the wheel of the 2015 Chevy Tahoe. Just who is it that are buying up these massive utilities, and what are the specific virtues that lead to their continued success? Let's find out.

When looking through an out-of-focus lens, just about any fullsize body-on-frame sport utility is going to appear mostly like a big box on wheels. Fortunately, Chevy has gone to great lengths to give the Tahoe a distinctive look. Whether it's an attractive vehicle, though, is certainly up for debate. To our eyes, it looks more purposeful than pretty, with a handsome profile that's a bit spoiled by the strangely shaped headlamp clusters and massive, upright chrome grille. If you don't like the look of the Tahoe, remember that there's a probably a GMC dealer close by with a sales floor full of Yukons, which we think look quite a bit prettier.

The good news is that its long, straight lines and vertical stance mean its interior is large, bright and airy. Seats are comfortable, and the leather surfaces of our LTZ tester were soft and supple. In front of the driver sits a cluster with easy-to-read gauges, including a large tachometer on the left, a matching speedometer on the right and a row of four smaller ancillaries in between. A reasonably sized LCD sits below those smaller gauges, offering the driver basic information that includes trip odometers and fuel mileage readouts. When optioned up properly, all the surfaces you can touch are covered in a soft-ish leather substitute in either gray or brown shades with attractive stitching. Similarly, the steering wheel is nicely covered and easy to put into a comfortable position.

The center console is dominated by an eight-inch LCD screen in LT and LTZ models, with a cubby hidden behind. That touchscreen features Chevy's MyLink infotainment system, which includes, among other things, Bluetooth, Pandora and, when so equipped, navigation. As many as six USB ports and six power outlets can be found inside the Tahoe for today's totally connected families – that's 12 devices drawing power from the Tahoe at once. All in, some 10 separate devices can be linked to the infotainment system.

And that leads us to the Tahoe's first easily discernible virtue: size. There's no getting around the fact that the Tahoe is a large vehicle, measuring in at 204 inches in length on a 116-inch wheelbase. It is 80.5 inches wide, with a 68.7-inch track. If that doesn't mean anything to you, consider this: maximum seating capacity sits at nine, and even when fully loaded with people, there's still 15.3 cubic-feet of storage space in back, which is comparable to the trunk size of a midsize sedan. If you don't need all those seats, fold the third row flat (a new feature for 2015) and you'll be rewarded with 51.6 cubes with which to fill. Fold all but the front seats flat and the Tahoe will swallow a truly impressive 94.7 cubic-feet of stuff. Besides other fullsize SUVs like the Ford Expedition, Nissan Armada and Toyota Sequoia, the only kind of passenger vehicle with comparable specs would be a minivan, but those have their own set of limitations.

Got a boat? A family-size travel trailer? Dirtbikes, jet skis or a classic car? No problem. The 2015 Chevy Tahoe can tow as much as 8,600 pounds (minus 200 lbs for 4x4s), far exceeding that of any minivans on the market. It's also available with real, honest-to-goodness four-wheel drive, which means it can find traction in adverse conditions and can get places where less-capable machinery has to find a place to park.

Much of the Tahoe's machoness comes from its pickup-based genetic makeup. While most utility vehicles on the market today have long since abandoned a perimeter frame, opting instead for lighter unibody construction, Chevrolet continues to bolt the body, powertrain and suspenders of its fullsizer to a fully boxed steel frame. This, while hopelessly out of fashion in today's automotive world, has a few benefits, not the least of which is its ability to haul heavy loads, as previously discussed.

Drawbacks, however, are often seen as outweighing factors – (usually) poorer efficiency due in part to higher weight (in this case, 5,466 pounds with two-wheel drive or 5,683 with four-wheel drive), and, due to the fact that they require multiple pieces to make a whole (as opposed to a single unibody structure), a rougher ride and a general sense of shimmying and shaking. Starting with the latter, we're happy to report that GM has done an excellent job of assuaging those on-road jitters.

The 2015 Chevy Tahoe rides rather well, with a quiet confidence on rough roads that feels like at least a match for any of its competitors. The Tahoe's ride and handling have been improved over its predecessor thanks to a number of engineering refinements that include a wider rear track and revised suspension geometry that includes a new cross-axis ball joint, more high-strength steel, shear-style body mounts and available Magneride magnetic ride control. Most of these updates are inherited from the latest Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks, but the magneto-rheological shocks, which come standard in LTZ trim, is worth mentioning. The technology, well known for its appearance on Chevy's own Corvette as well as Ferrari models, is capable of adapting its damping characteristics in as little as 10 milliseconds in response to changing road conditions. Suffice it to say that the technology works as advertised, offering a smooth ride and responsive handling in one package with no extra work required of the driver.

Buyers who choose LS or LT models receive much more basic twin-tube shocks and coil springs that are as much as 30-percent stiffer than before, while the Z85 package that comes with a heavy-duty trailering package benefits from a load-leveling rear suspension. Neither of these suspension systems is as fancy or functional as Magneride, but they certainly do a fine job of isolating passengers from the most jarring of roadway infractions. Eighteen-inch wheels come standard with P265/65R18 tires, and buyers with a thing for bling can option those all the way up to 22 inches in diameter. That said, we would recommend exercising some restraint in that department, as the 20-inchers of our LTZ test car struck a fine balance between looks, ride and handling. The 2015 Tahoe is also commendably quiet, though the Yukon is a bit quieter still due to its more extensive use of sound-deadening glass.

New for 2015 is an electronic steering system that replaces the old tried-and-true hydraulic setup. While enthusiasts sometimes bemoan these variable units, we found that Chevy has done an excellent job of tuning the rack for its latest fullsize SUVs. Little effort is required to turn the wheel at low speeds, as when maneuvering in a parking lot, and the effort stiffens admirably at higher speeds, giving a solid feel of straight-ahead steadiness.

Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon buyers will all benefit from Duralife brake rotors inherited from the company's fullsize pickups. GM says these units are far more durable than conventional rotors, making them extremely resistant to warpage that can be felt through the brake pedal, if not the steering wheel. We found the brake pedal reassuringly firm, and that's comforting when piloting such a large vehicle full of precious cargo... like seven human beings. We also appreciated the power-adjustable brake pedals fitted to our LTZ test vehicle, though we noted that the brake pedal was positioned unusually closer to the driver's foot than the gas pedal. We got used to the arrangement in short order, and we don't imagine anyone doing any heel-toe action in the big SUVs as there's no clutch pedal, but your mileage may vary. GM includes a full suite of driver assistance technologies as standard equipment, including StabilliTrack, ABS, trailer sway control and Auto Grade Braking, which downshifts on long descents to help preserve the brakes while keeping vehicle speed in check.

All 2015 Chevy Tahoe and Suburban models are equipped with the latest version of GM's trusty 5.3-liter V8 engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that pretty much carries over from the last generation. There's 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque on tap, and that feels like plenty of power in the Tahoe... until you take the Yukon Denali for a drive and experience the 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of its 6.2-liter V8. We asked Chevy why the 6.2 isn't at least optional in the Tahoe and were told that it was for a few years, but buyers almost never wanted it. So there you go...

In any case, GM's 5.3-liter V8 engine offers lots of technology to keep it current, including direct injection and variable valve timing, which, along with active cylinder deactivation that turns this V8 into a V4 when ultimate power isn't required, equals EPA-estimated fuel mileage ratings of 16 miles per gallon in the city and 23 highway for two-wheel-drive models (22 on the highway with four-wheel drive). Due to improved efficiencies across the entire Tahoe platform, we noticed that the 5.3-liter engine was able to operate on four cylinders much more often and for longer periods than past systems from GM, and the switch between the two modes was truly seamless. As an interesting little factoid, GM notes that its very first small-block V8 engine appeared on the scene in 1955, displacing 4.3 liters and putting out 145 hp and 238 lb-ft as an option in the '55 Chevy Suburban.

It's also worth noting that Chevy offers different power ratings for its 5.3 engine when run on E10 fuel and when run on E85. When filled with 85-percent ethanol, the V8 spits out 380 horses (35 more than on E10) and 416 lb-ft (33 more torques). Score one for the higher octane ratings offered by ethanol, eh? There aren't separate fuel economy listings on the differing fuels, though, and we'd expect Tahoe drivers to lose a few mpg on E85.

Several paragraphs back, we mentioned some key competitors, namely the Expedition, Armada and Sequoia. With a starting price of $45,595, the Tahoe is priced in line with its segment, though it's easy to push the LTZ, which starts at $60,490, up into the low $70s with all its many option boxes checked (and for that price, we'd be keen to look at the Yukon Denali). These vehicles offer a similar size and a similar number of seats to the Tahoe, and they offer powerful V8 engines, just like the Chevy. But none of them have the polish or poise of the Bowtie's big SUV, and neither can they claim anything near the Tahoe's 16/23 estimated mpg (all three of those competitors scores just 13 or 14 mpg in the city, and highway ratings range from the Toyota's 17 mpg to the Ford's 20).

Put simply, if what you need is a big sport utility vehicle to haul your family, your stuff or some combination thereof, the 2015 Tahoe is easily the leader of the fullsize body-on-frame SUV pack. And, with its newfound comfort and efficiency, we imagine that the beastly SUV-asaurus will manage to evade its grave for several more years, at least.

While the new truck is a marked improvement over the previous generation, I think it still falls short of some of the competition like the Mercedes GL (sales leader in the segment, unibody), Range Rover/Rover Sport (unibody) and even Infiniti QX56/QX80 (body on frame).

Interior wise, they're doing a much better job of differentiating from the Tahoe and Yukon variants. Cadillac specific center stack, and Cadillac's steering wheel, not just the GM truck steering wheel with a Cadillac crest on it. Soft touches, good materials (mostly) and much improved fit and finish. A couple elements like the overhead console still feel like low rent GM parts bin, and the plastics aren't quite befitting the elevated price point here. Clunky column shifter feels dated when most other competitors have moved to some sort of shift-by-wire controller.

Power is strong and smooth from the new 6.2L motor, but doesn't feel as exciting as the uplevel powerplants in the Range Rover lineup. Ride does feel well damped and improved over the previous gen, with good firm braking feel, but definitely feels heavy and big (but in a somewhat positive/substantive way).

Fold flat 3rd row is nice, but legroom in the short wheelbase Escalade still leaves much to be desired without a dedicated footwell area. Integration of the cargo area behind the 3rd row seemed a bit cheap, but this was a pre-production/early build model, it might get tightened up by final production. Seats fold down and come up very quickly though.

The interior of the red test vehicle looks far worse than any photos that we've seen. The central info area looks glue together, sectioned, and with large gaps between each. Toyish and cheap. Also, the wood is buried in areas no one sees once seated inside. All that black plastic on the lower center console should have the wood. And what's with the eyelashes around the sides of the headlights? Horrible styling feature that will age badly. Lastly, when is GM going to find a better way hiding the rear hitch than simply adding a bulging box on the bumper? Was Lego hired here? Sorry, but I had much higher hopes for this vehicle, at least from all the press photos.

The 2015 Chevy Tahoe & Chevy Suburban are 4WD, three-row people haulers that will also tow your boat, horse traileror third wheel. In fact, the Chevrolet Suburban is the oldest nameplate in the world. In other words, that means it is the oldest vehicle with the same. In another accurate, fun and informative TFLca first drive review, Roman drives and reviews these classic body-on-frame SUV's to see how they drive, and in the process tests these big rigs to see how fast they will spring from 0-60 MPH.

The 2015 GMC Yukon Denali is a traditional SUV that has three rows and enough room to haul you, your friends and a few horses in the back of the trailer. And unlike the Chevy Suburban and the Chevy Tahoe, the new 2015 GMC Yukon Denali comes with the big 420 Horsepower 6.2L V8 straight out of the Silverado and Sierra. So is it fast from 0-60? You'll have to watch this first drive TFLcar 0-60 MPH video as Roman reviews the newest and most luxurious GMC Yukon yet.

The GMC Yukon has been totally redesigned for the 2015 model year. This large SUV is powered by a 6.2 liter V-8 engine that makes 420 horsepower and 450 lb-ft. of torque. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic and the curb weight checks in at a hefty 5746 lbs.

A best 0-60 MPH run of 7.0 seconds was accomplished with the Four-Wheel Drive turned "OFF" and the Traction Control switched "ON"

The Chevy Suburban 1500 has been totally redesigned for the 2015 model year. This large SUV is powered by a 5.3 liter V-8 engine that makes 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft. of torque. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic and the curb weight checks in at a hefty 5546 lbs.

A best 0-60 MPH run of 8.3 seconds was accomplished with the Four-Wheel Drive turned "AUTO" and the Traction Control switched "OFF"

They love these here in the Middle East. By far the most common US vehicle(s) and one of the most common vehicles on the road in general. Comfortable on long highway cruises, fairly reliable and spacious.

I remember being in a friends Yukon on the highway and it felt very stable, you also don't really realize how fast you're going until you look at the speedo, it amazed me how you don't feel the speed, you could be going 80/90mph and it won't feel like it at all. It did rattle though while going over bumps, hope they fixed that with the new model.

I remember being in a friends Yukon on the highway and it felt very stable, you also don't really realize how fast you're going until you look at the speedo, it amazed me how you don't feel the speed, you could be going 80/90mph and it won't feel like it at all. It did rattle though while going over bumps, hope they fixed that with the new model.

They've certainly come a long way from their extrmeme truck roots for sure despite still being BOF

A 2015 GMC Yukon burst into flames while on a test drive in Anaheim, CA on Sunday after smoke filled the cabin. Residents of the neighborhood where the driver abandoned the redesigned Yukon reported hearing a series of small explosions (likely the tires, based on the video), according to a report from KTLA and The Los Angeles Times.

No one was injured in the incident, which The Times reports occurred after a possible oil or fluid leak. As you can see in the image above, the Yukon was engulfed in flames, although the Anaheim Fire Department was able to put out the blaze in about 15 minutes.

"We're very lucky that no one got hurt, and it was in an area that... was safe," Lt. Tim Schmidt of the Anaheim Police Department told KTLA reporters. "If there was any place that was going to be safe, it would be this area. It's very open. It worked out for us."

"Everyone kept thinking: Is it going to explode one more time? Because it looked like the gas tank was still there, intact," Sergio Luna, one of the witnesses, told KTLA. "So that was the big fear: If it does go off, what's going to happen?"

The news of a new model catching fire comes on the heels of a massive and controversial recall for General Motors, which has faced criticism for failing to recall over one million vehicles due to faulty ignition switches.

GM is aware of the fire and is set to dispatch a field team to analyze the destroyed SUV "very soon," according to GM's Alan Adler. Adler added that it's too soon to know much of anything - the fire, after all, did only happen yesterday - but it's hoped that the field team being dispatched will have answers as soon as possible.

And the fun starts! Further interviews stated driver lots all power and coasted to a stop when the smoke started. I can't fathom this happening on a brand new vehicle unless something was tampered with or seriously designed wrong. To be continued I'm sure...

Automotive enthusiasts often wonder aloud – ourselves included – why General Motors would choose to keep GMC while sending Pontiac (and Saturn, and even Oldsmobile before it) into the great automotive graveyard in the sky. The answer, as is so often the case, is profit. It's much easier for GM to rake in money hand over fist by rejiggering the trucks, crossovers and SUVs that it would already be developing for Chevrolet and making them a bit more luxurious and *ahem* "Professional Grade" with new grilles, badges and unique packaging for GMC.

While it may sound like we're being cynical, we totally approve of GM's fullsize SUV strategy. The least-expensive way to get into the fold is with the Chevrolet Tahoe, which starts at $45,595 with a 5.3-liter V8 engine and a cloth interior. Bumping that same Chevy to LTZ trim and its $59,995 sticker price lands a much nicer leather-clad interior and more techno-bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at. But it still looks like a Tahoe, and it still comes with the smaller 5.3-liter engine. Or, you could do what we'd do: Walk into your GMC dealer and take a look at the Yukon Denali. Here's why.

Driving Notes

The 2015 GMC Yukon Denali wears a starting sticker price of $62,680 or $65,380 for the XL version we drove. That's a difference of $2,685 over the Tahoe LTZ. You get quite a bit for that bit of coin, which is a pretty small percentage of the truck's total cost.

Of course, it's stupidly easy to raise the Denali's starting price to stratospheric levels. A Touring Package for $4,110 includes an excellent head-up display, loud and proud 20-inch wheels in chrome, a power sunroof, rear-seat entertainment and an enhanced security system. That last bit is noteworthy because these big SUVs are frequent targets of thieves. Power-retractable side steps cost $1,745 and aren't really necessary for most body types, but adaptive cruise control and automatic braking assist for $1,695 may be more desirable.

Besides the styling, which we'll get to in a moment, the most obvious benefit brought by the Yukon Denali is its standard 6.2-liter V8 engine. Its 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque is an immediately noticeable improvement over the Tahoe's 5.3-liter and its 355 hp and 383 lb-ft, especially when taking off from a dead stop or when passing on the highway.

While the six-speed automatic transmission is tried-and-true, it's two gears shy of current market leaders. That said, its deficiency is less apparent when mated to the Yukon Denali's 6.2 than the 5.3 of the Tahoe.

As you'd expect, the bigger engine in the Denali carries an efficiency penalty at the pump. With ratings of 15 miles per gallon in the city and 21 on the highway, the two-wheel-drive Denali's deficit sits at one mpg city and two highway. Not insignificant, but then again, neither is the extra power.

As a staff, we universally prefer the Yukon's looks to the Tahoe's, and, while we still find the Denali trim overtly blingy, we feel the treatment works better on the fullsize trucks and SUVs better than on smaller crossovers. If you want to go full bling, wait for the Cadillac Escalade and be prepared to open your wallet significantly further.

Inside, the Denali buyer will be coddled with heated and cooled seats sewn in supple leather. Instead of a traditional analog gauge cluster, GMC has fitted the Yukon Denali with a customizable LCD with three distinct themes. Each of them can be customized to include information relevant to the driver. Couple that with the standard eight-inch screen in the center stack and its MyLink infotainment system, and you'll have plenty of doodads to play with.

As you'd expect, there's a ton of room inside the Yukon Denali. A maximum of 94.7 cubic feet is available with all seats folded down, or you can pile in seven or eight occupants (depending on whether you chose second-row buckets or a bench). Need more space? No problem; the Denali is also available as an XL that's a full 20 inches longer, as seen in our image gallery. Either way, the truck's max tow rating stands at 8,300 pounds, which is more than any three-row crossover or minivan can tug along.

Even with those heavy-duty ratings, the Yukon Denali is about as serene an automotive conveyance as you'll find at this price. It's extremely quiet, with effective aero tuning, sound-deadening glass and active noise cancellation technology effectively drowning out the outside din and making conversation among all rows of passengers an easy affair.

With standard magnetic ride control, the 2015 Yukon Denali is supremely composed on the road, belying its massive 5,533-pound curb weight by feeling almost light on its feet at highway speeds. Steering is light at slow speeds, yet it firms up well as the pace increases.

Basically, what we have here is the middle child in GM's fullsize SUV portfolio. It's nicer than the Tahoe and standard Yukon, but not as far into luxo-barge territory as the Cadillac Escalade. Call us Goldilocks if you must, but if it were our own hard-earned money on the line, this GMC would be the just-right body-on-frame 'ute we'd be most interested in driving.

With the ignition switch issue heating up, the last thing that GM wants right now is another safety issue blowing up in its hands (…pun intended), and the case of a brand-new 2015 GMC Yukon catching fire during a test drive in Anaheim this past Sunday, isn't really helping.

While an investigation is still pending, Anaheim police Lt. Tim Schmidt told KTLA-TV that the new Yukon truck had some sort of a problem, forcing the driver to pull over, with all passengers exiting the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames. The good news is that no one was injured.

“It appeared that the car had some oil leak or some fluid leaking prior, as they were doing the test drive,” Schmidt said. “They lost complete control of the vehicle but were able to safely park it and pull it to the curb. When they got out of the vehicle, it shortly started having smoke and then quickly went into flames, as you can see on the video,” he added.

Firefighters quickly came to the scene and were able to extinguish the fire, but not before the vehicle sustained severe damage.

“We’re very lucky that no one got hurt, and it was in an area that … was safe,” Schmidt said. “If there was any place that was going to be safe, it would be this area. It’s very open. It worked out for us.”

Responding to an email from Jalopnik, GMC spokesman, Alan Adler said:

"GM is aware of the fire in Anaheim on Sunday. We are glad no one was hurt. We are working urgently on the issue and we have a team of investigators traveling to Anaheim to learn what they can about the fire."